Silver Spring Neighborhood Center excels at mentoring Westlawn youth

The Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, at 5460 N. 64th St, has been serving residents of the Westlawn public housing development for more than a half-century.

The center’s latest success story is high school senior Te’Jon Lucas, who credits Silver Spring with helping him reach his goal of playing Division 1 basketball at the University of Illinois next fall. A senior at Washington High School, Lucas is the only Milwaukee Public Schools student who was offered a Division I basketball scholarship.

“One of the real strengths of our organization is that we do offer programs across the lifespan and that we’ve been in existence for so long in the same place,” said Executive Director Anthony McHenry.

Added McHenry, “Te’Jon is one example of what has happened so many times with our basketball program and all our other programs. Adults and kids are making some decisions to do the very best they can to have successful lives.”

In addition to sports programming, the center’s services include early childhood education, academic tutoring, youth development programs, employment programs and a food pantry.